Landscapes and People

We will be moving in about three weeks. This morning I mowed my yard, probably for the last time, especially if we don’t get any rain. If it needs to be mowed before we leave my yard assistant, Brady, will most likely do it. I’ll be too busy with the move.

I was a little sad when I realized that I wouldn’t be mowing this yard again. It was like saying goodbye to a dear, old friend.  I hate to leave behind all of my trees, flowers, roses, the things I’ve worked so hard on to have a nice yard. But I’ve moved many times before leaving pretty yards that I thought I could never have again. Every place we have lived I have planted trees, bushes, flowers, and created flower gardens, built pergolas, retaining walls, and patios. Each yard I’ve worked with turns out to be much different than the one before, and they have always satisfied my desire to create something beautiful. But I can’t take the credit. God provides the lovely materials that no human can match. Only God can create the beautiful foliage of nature for us to use and enjoy.

I think people are a bit like landscapes. When God created us he created something more wonderful and lovely than the trees or the flowers. We sell ourselves short when we think we are not as pretty or as handsome as someone else. God did not stake our loveliness, our beauty, on our physical appearance. Each of us has within us a unique beautiful person waiting to emerge. He gave each of us a heart and a spirit to use to spread the beauty of his Son, Jesus Christ. God looks beyond our outward appearance and sees deep within us the person that he designed long before we were even a thought in the minds of our parents.

Landscapes take hard work to be beautiful. A gardener has to invest his or her time and commit to doing the things necessary to create something that is lovely. Fertilizing, watering, pruning, weeding, and planting are only a few things that must be done to have a beautiful landscape. The same is true of a life that yields the beauty of Christ. Being the lovely creature that God made each of us to be requires  dedication, commitment, investment, and sacrifice. These are eternal acts that reap heavenly benefits. Achieving the beauty that will bless others and glorify God takes a great desire within our hearts and a growing love for the One who died for us.

The house where we are moving is new. The yard has only the basic two small trees, a few bushes in front and some mulch. I have a blank slate with which to work. But creating another beautiful landscape is going to be hard for me this time. My family doesn’t want me to do much on this yard. They think I’m not able to work out in the hot North Carolina sun. I only passed out three times from heat exhaustion while working in my yard at our present house.  I’ve learned my lesson. I know now how to pace myself. They think I’m as silly as a goose for wanting to continue doing what I love to do. So we will see what happens. The good thing is that working at cultivating the beautiful person that God wants you to be will never cause you to pass out.